Porn is a common source of conflict in relationships, research finds, primarily when one partner has been hiding their use knowing that the other would disapprove or consider it to be an act of infidelity. Joint counseling can help partners understand each other’s sexual interests and negotiate what is and is not acceptable in their relationship going forward. But it is more likely, many psychologists believe, that disputes about porn use will be found to be driven by other more critical underlying sexual or relationship issues that need to be addressed. Brain monitoring of individuals who believe they have an addiction to porn does not show increased activity in regions of the brain generally activated by addiction when those people view sexually explicit images. Instead, some neuroscientists believe that what may be perceived as an addiction to porn may be a manifestation of depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. As the American Psychological Association (APA) notes, experts don’t agree about the effects of pornography.
Signs of pornography addiction
Likewise, up to 70% of all Americans engage in some kind of extramarital affair at some point during their marriage. Pornography use can increase the likelihood of infidelity by a whopping 300%. Likewise, sexting is often coercive, which suggests there may be higher rates of sexual assault among young people. If one thing is universal in porn, it’s the lack of condoms and other protective measures. Although there are approximately 376 million new STD infections each year, viewers won’t see such precautions taken when streaming porn.
Breaking Free From Compulsive Porn Use
Feelings of loss of control and persistent use despite these adverse results constitute “online sexual compulsivity” [22] or Problematic Online Pornography Use (POPU). This problematic consumption model benefits from the “Triple A” factors [23]. Regardless of the study and who conducted it, the primary consequences of compulsive porn use tend to boil down to shame, mental health issues, relationship woes, and sexual dysfunction. At the very least, these are the issues that seem to drive heavy porn users into treatment. If compulsive pornography use is not a hypersexual disorder, could it be considered an addiction akin to drug or alcohol addiction?
2. Ethiopathogenical and Diagnostic Conceptualization
These aspects, according to the DSM-5 [1], refer to the mentioned problematic consumption model applied to hypersexual behavior, both offline and online [6,66,67]. Evidence of tolerance and withdrawal in these patients might probably be key in characterizing this entity as an addictive disorder [45]. Problematic use of cybersex is also often conceptualized as a behavioral addiction [13,68]. Sadly, individuals who struggle with pornography are often reluctant to seek help because they dont view their solo sexual behaviors as an underlying source of their unhappiness. And when they do seek assistance, they often seek help with related symptoms depression, loneliness, and relationship troubles rather than the porn problem itself.
It might also be helpful to join a support group, talk with a close friend, or find a new hobby to help you focus your mind elsewhere. Over the last decade, pornography use has increased significantly due to its accessibility, affordability, and anonymity. For many people, alcohol consumption and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease its excessive use has hurt relationships, led to intimacy problems, depression, and greater secrecy. Available research on medication for problematic pornography use focuses on paroxetine (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and naltrexone (addiction medication).
But your doctor may recommend medication if you have co-existing conditions, such as depression or OCD. Be wary of therapists who claim to “specialize” in diagnosis and treatment of pornography. It’s difficult to “specialize” in a disorder that lacks a professionally agreed upon definition or uniformly outlined diagnostic criteria. And a study of men who sought treatment for problematic pornography use (PPU) showed that their brains did respond to sexual images. This study puts some finality into the answers as to whether porn addiction is a true addiction. By reframing “porn addiction” as “an incongruity between morals and behaviors,” the paper showed that the amount of time spent using porn does not predict problems with porn; rather, religiosity seems to be the bigger problem.
Either way, if watching porn becomes problematic, there are ways to try to regain control. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors with no rational motivation, but are often engaged in to reduce anxiety. Addictions involve an inability to stop the behavior, despite negative consequences. One 2015 review article concluded that internet pornography shares basic mechanisms with substance addiction. Whether it’s an addiction or not, those who use pornography regularly have intense urges or cravings for sex.
If it’s just annoying to realize you spent a bunch of money on OnlyFans, but it isn’t actually doing you financial harm in other arenas and you can choose to stop spending your money that way without stressing about it, you may just need to adjust your priorities. Getting turned on by and wanting your partner to try some things you saw in porn isn’t horrible, either–but losing interest in them completely and preferring to get your sexual gratification from porn instead is a red flag. One major criticism of “porn addiction” is that, at least according to the DSM, it doesn’t really exist as a true addiction or disorder.
Most of the studies referenced use subjects with a long-term exposure to online pornography [34,81,113,114], so its clinical manifestations appear to be a direct and proportional consequence of engaging in this maladaptive behavior. When the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was being drafted, experts considered a proposed diagnostic addiction called hypersexual disorder, which also included a pornography subtype. But in the end, reviewers determined that there wasn’t enough evidence to include hypersexual disorder or its subtypes in the 2013 edition. Individuals who are addicted to or compulsive with pornography feel compelled to look at porn.
They will help you find a sex-positive therapist who uses research-based treatment methods. You don’t have to live with guilt, shame, or other negative feelings related to porn addiction. Brain chemistry imbalance can occur because porn often raises serotonin and norepinephrine levels. These hormones control your moods, and high levels can lead to compulsive sexual behavior. Although porn addiction is not an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth addition text revision (DSM-5-TR), many people self-report pornography viewing as an issue in their lives. But if you’ve tried to stop and can’t, consider contacting a mental health professional experienced in treating compulsions, addictions, and sexual dysfunction.
According to a 2019 study, for instance, approximately 11% of men and 3% of women self-reported having a porn addiction. Research comparing the brains of people who compulsively view porn to the brains of people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol has produced mixed results. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, is used by healthcare professionals to help diagnosis mental disorders. I have worked with clients who have had strict Catholic, Muslim, Hindi, and Jewish religious upbringings and educations. While they may still practice these religions and believe in a deity, they have not come to terms with how they want to have sexuality in their lives and relationships.
Moreover, there are higher EEG readings in these users, as well as the diminished desire for sex with a partner, but not for masturbation to pornography [105], something that reflects also on the difference in erection quality [8]. However, Steele’s study contains several methodological salvia extent of use, effects, and risks flaws to consider (subject heterogeneity, a lack of screening for mental disorders or addictions, the absence of a control group, and the use of questionnaires not validated for porn use) [106]. A study by Prause [107], this time with a control group, replicated these very findings.
- Of course, this information is correlational, which means it’s impossible to tell if one condition “causes” the other.
- Either way, if watching porn becomes problematic, there are ways to try to regain control.
- However, its psychometric properties haven only been mildly analyzed, with a more robust validation in Spanish [156] that has served as a blueprint for posterior studies [157].
- Indeed, because many researchers do not believe that pornography addiction is a real medical condition, some doctors and counselors may feel that no treatment is necessary.
- Either the subject feels too shameful to talk about, or they just dont see the correlation between their porn use and the problems theyre having in life.
- Although some couples seem to benefit from pornography, that’s not the case for everyone.
If we consider online porn from this perspective, we can start seeing similarities to regular substance addicts. As for POPU, there is no clear and reliable data alcohol use disorder symptoms and causes in the literature reviewed that can offer a solid estimation of its prevalence. Some interesting facts about pornography consumption tendencies stand out.